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Anne, where is everyone?

Hi! Leonard Stevenson from Ankeny, IA. First year beekeeper with 3 hives.....2 good and 1 not so good. If it can happen, it has probably happened to me this year.....first two packages died, lost a queen in one hive, wax moths, two queens in one hive, etc.

OK, thanks Leonard!
I'm Anne and I beekeep with my son, and since it's so much fun* my husband and other son get involved, too! We have 6 hives going into this winter - our third winter. This honey harvest was VERY GOOD, even with selling nucs this past spring and summer.
*Well, sometimes there's so much fun ... uh, I mean work ... that we totally need their help!
Looking forward to more bee conversation!

Hi all ! Gary Kempf here from southeast Ia..... hey Anne, my 2 hives i got from you have really built up for winter, i have been feeding lots of sugar water and they have their 2 deeps almost full ! These are the best bees that I've ever had, they are so gentle to handle and never cause a fuss when i open the hive and look around. I haven't winterized them yet but i will get that done this weekend. I will definitely want 3 or 4 more nucs next year if you have them available!!

Hi Gary! When you say that you are going to winterize this weekend......are you going to wrap the hives already? I am still feeding all 3 of my hives and want to continue that until they quit taking it. I am then going to put candy boards on top of the hives, just in case they run out of honey/syrup over the winter.

It might be a bit early for wrapping, especially when we get those very warm hours during the day. We'll likely wrap ours over Turkey Day weekend or maybe even mid-Dec depending on how the weather is doing.

In webster county Iowa here. Been doing bees and honey for 4 years, not real big 5 hives going into winter, had 7 this summer but one was a package that just didn't make it - bad location I think, the only hive in a different place - one was 3 years just barely making it. Did some successful splits this year but I am mostly limited by lack of drawn comb and of course equipment and funds. Hives outside of town - on a trailer they are on all year because I have to move when they spray the fields next to me.
I enjoy the bees- trying to decide how serious to get with it here - there are alot of people who seem to be getting into the business in the last couple years, mostly on a larger scale than I am but they are only doing honey so it is a little bit of an odd business plan to count on one product. Bee keeping works well with what I do for income ( farmers markets ) I am fiddling with mead making as well as other products from the hive eventually.